What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this film touches on issues such as having children out of wedlock, alcoholism, and homosexuality (much of which is mistakenly assumed during moments of cross-dressing). While these issues may seem mature, the film uses each sparingly and as a means to illustrate growth in its characters. While the storyline puts Michael (and his alter-ego Dorothy) in compromising situations, it also leads to good clean fun and personal discoveries about respect for one's self and others.
- Families can talk about the film's themes of honesty, homosexuality, and gender equality. Families can talk about the Michael's changes in attitude and treatment of women early in the film versus the end. While the movie may be over 20 years old, it still has something important to say about representations of women on television. Parents could talk to kids about how such representations have changed or remained the same since the film's production.